Growing Up Raising Us

In this week's ep, we have Part 2 of our conversation with Amy Pearson of @sunmotheramy. This chat focuses on neurodiversity - on Amy's experience raising a child who is neurodivergent and how that journey impacted her understanding and learning of her own ADHD. 

We chose to split this interview into two parts because Amy speaks openly and honestly on the experience of having a highly sensitive baby, and we hope this ep reaches anyone who is navigating a similar experience. From another mama with a sensitive baby who cried non-stop in a dark room, it can be an isolating and overwhelming time where your only focus is trying to improve things for this tiny person and get through each night. We see you, you're doing wonderful things, and we hope Amy's beautiful words reach you. 

Find part 1 of our chat with Amy here.

Join our community on instagram ⁠⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Taungurung, Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land.

In today's ep we bring you a conversation with Amy Pearson, aka the brains, beauty and impact behind Sun Mother (@sunmotheramy). Amy is a mother to two, and a Brand and Marketing Strategist + Coach. She joins us on the podcast to chat all things motherhood, identity and career. 

She reflects on her matrescence journeys, building a business while raising a family, and some musings on motherhood now her kids are a little bit more grown. 

Join our community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Taungurung, Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land. 

How did you know you were done having kids, if you ever had that feeling at all? 

It’s something that is shaped by so many factors—practical, emotional, and unexpected. Fertility and financial pressures, not seeing eye to eye with your partner, feeling completely ‘done’ or maybe not at all. We wanted to explore what really influences this decision, and we asked our listeners. The response was huge. As we’ve been putting this episode together, so many people have reached out—whether they’re still figuring out their family plans or have already made those big decisions. It’s clear this is something on a lot of minds, so we’re excited to bring you today’s In Your Words episode, where we hear from some incredible people who’ve shared their stories with us.

A huge thank you to our guests who share their insights so openly in this episode:

✨ Sophia: a mother of two, aged 15 and 1, a wife and a sleep consultant at @sophiasleepschool. Sophia shares her story of having her first child quite young and unexpectedly, through to her decision to have a second child over a decade later with her current husband and best friend. 

✨ Amy: a mother of three, aged 8, 6.5 and 4, a wife, and a sleep consultant at @little.dreamers.nz. Amy talks about the feeling of not being done after having her second, and how that changed after her third child was born.

✨ Jane: a mother of two, aged 4 and 2.5, a wife, and mental health occupational therapist working with Rebecca Black @themindfulbirthmovement. She speaks on how her own sibling dynamics as well as financial considerations have influenced her choices. You can find Jane @doingmotherhood.

Join our community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Taungurung, Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land. 

Hello hello! We are finally back for the year and so excited to be in your ears. We are back with a chatty welcome back - Chels walks us through the experience of her second daughter self-weaning (a very different experience from her first) and Em recaps how much the movie, Nightbitch, resonated with her. 

You can expect 3 episodes a month from us this season, with a highly requested In Your Words episode coming to you next week. 

Join our community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Taungurung, Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land. 

Thank you so much for joining us for our first year of Growing Up Raising Us. We wouldn’t have been able to do it without your messages of support, listens, shares, words of wisdom, and contribution to our growing community. We are so grateful to you all. This year we had: 

✨Thirty-six incredible guests

✨Twenty-nine podcast eps

✨So many beautiful DMS and messages of impact

✨One billion voice-note exchanges between your co-hosts

Your top episodes for this year were:

We’re already planning for 2025 and we can’t wait to be back in your ears then, but now we’re taking a well-deserved Chrissy break. A very happy holiday season to you all - here’s to kisses with your fam, good food and company, and no unsolicited parenting advice 🥂 See you next year! 

Em + Chels x

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Taungurung peoples and the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation . We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land.

We recently asked you how prepared you felt for your first postpartum experience and over 40% of you said you didn’t feel prepared at all.

So we wanted to bring out an episode to help change that. In this episode, we are joined by Olivia, a postpartum doula, registered nurse and founder of Back to Nourishing Mamas. 

Olivia joins us to chat about why it’s so important to feel supported and held in postpartum, as well as how to prepare for a warm and nourishing postpartum for all mothers - including those who have lost their babies. She shares practical advice and wisdom around four key pillars of rest, warmth, nutrition and bodywork.

There’s a lot of beautiful takeaways in this episode and we hope it helps anyone planning for postpartum or supporting someone through postpartum. We hear this all the time, but postpartum is forever and you deserve rest, help and care at all stages of your parenthood journey. 

Please know this episode does touch on support after loss or stillbirth, between the 26 to 33 minute mark. 

You can find Olivia:

On instagram

On her website

Or Download her FREE guide on preparing for postpartum here

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land. 

Join our community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

We’ve had lots of beautiful new listeners join us recently so a warm hello to you 👋 we’re Chelsea + Emma! We host this podcast - our incredible passion project - alongside our paid work and motherhood.

Chels has 2 daughters, is a teacher and has recently moved to a sweet little town in central Vic. Em is mother to 1 boy and works in research and data analysis. We’re in our 30s and launched this pod to share stories of birth, mothering and parenthood so we can learn and grow from the collective wisdom we all hold, and shift the narrative of what it means to mother in 2024.

Listen to this ep to hear a bit more about us - what we’re loving about this season of motherhood, what we’re growing into and out of, and what smutty books we’re into 😏

This ep was powered by caffeine and some end of year delirium.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land. 

Join our community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

Welcome to our next incredible ‘In Your Words’ episode, which is on the topic of positive hospital birth experiences. In Australia, over 97% of births take place in a hospital, which for some of us can be an unfamiliar or even scary place.

We really wanted to put this episode together to hear our listeners’ perspectives on what a positive birth means to them, and hear the meaning and beauty behind their experience birthing in a hospital supported by incredible midwives and care staff. Our hope is that this episode equips others with knowledge on what can and does happen within a hospital setting, to be able to consider what options they have and the agency they hold.

We are joined by seven incredible guests in this episode and we are so honoured that they shared their stories with us. You will hear from:

✨️Steph, a wife and mother in her early 30's raising two boys and a dog. She shares how her positive hospital experience healed a traumatic first experience. (13.34 -17.40mis)

✨️Marley, a birth and postpartum doula who lives in the beautiful Adelaide hills with her husband, 3.5 year old son, Jamie and little Sophie who is 6 months old. She shares her c-section birth following a planned homebirth, after finding out her baby was breech at 38 weeks. (17.52 - 24.39 mins)

✨️Katelyn, a physiotherapist born and raised in Geelong. Katelyn is married to Luke and they have two earth-side babies: Isabella (3 years) and Rupert (1 year). She shares that she is also in the not-so-desirable angel baby club. Today, Katelyn shares her two positive caesarean births in a private hospital: an emergency and then planned caesarean. (24.46 - 30.21 mins)

✨️Emma, co-host of this podcast, a social researcher, wife and mother to one beautiful boy. She shares her long, posterior labour and assisted vaginal birth in a public hospital, but with the support of a private midwife. (30.29 - 35.52 mins)

✨️Kendra, mama to two little ones - a boy (21 months) and little girl (7 weeks). Kendra has a deep reverence for the journey of becoming a mother and works as a perinatal occupational therapist and matrescence coach. She shares her unmedicated vaginal waterbirth in a birth centre off her local public hospital. (36.01 - 41.49 mins)

✨️Molly, mum to a beautiful 4 month old baby boy named Noah. Molly is also a wife, foster mum, psych nurse, and dog mum. She shares her emergency caesarean under a private OB, as well as the incredible experience of having a student midwife. (41.59 - 47.15 mins)

✨️Shannon, who is 28 years old and lives with her fiance, Brad, and two girls, Winter who is 3 years and little Aster, who is 4 months old. Shannon shares her first traumatic experience, followed by her second birth - a positive induction and a swift unmedicated vaginal birth (47.24 - 51.32 mins)

Finally, we want to acknowledge that for many parents, their hospital birth or experience was far from positive and didn’t leave them with many choices or a feeling of agency. We are so sorry if this was your experience. 

Join our growing community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land.

Today we have a jam-packed episode for you with the incredible Amy, an internationally certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant, the Founder of Little Dreamers and co-founder of Beyond Sleep School, as well as a Mum of 3! 

Amy joins us to chat all things family sleep and ditching social expectations around sleep, as well as her advice on a few of your own listener sleep issues. If sleep is impacting your family in this season of life, Amy is the perfect person to listen to. She is so positive, a wealth of knowledge, fully embraces the joy in this chaos, and champions parental well-being and doing what’s right for your family. 

Amy has kindly given you, our listeners, a discount code for sleep support at Little Dreamers (https://www.littledreamers.co.nz/). That discount code is GROWINGUP10 and gives you 10% off support offered worldwide by Amy and her team. Little Dreamers also offers a free 15 minute discovery call if you want to connect and find out more, and countless free resources and guides on their website and instagram. 

Join our growing community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land. 

 today we have a lovely episode for you with the wonderful Eleni, mother to three girls including 3.5 year old twins, Cleo and Lola, and 10 month old Hazel. 

Eleni joins us to share her motherhood journey, including her challenging pregnancy and planned caesarean section birth with her fraternal twin girls, as well as how she navigated the newborn days with two babies. She shares her feeding journey with the twins, covering tandem breastfeeding, triple feeding and the decision to move to formula feeding. 

Eleni goes on to reflect on how she knew she was ready to have a third child, and her subsequent pregnancy and birth with Hazel. Eleni had a planned gentle caesarean section with Hazel and shares her c-section preferences that shaped this birth (around the 40 min mark of the episode). Eleni gave birth in a public hospital, where she wouldn’t meet her OB until the day of delivery, and reflects on the process of researching her birth preferences, as well as her positive experience with her medical team. 

For her second birth, with toddler twins running around, Eleni invested in a postpartum doula so she also touches on her decision to engage a postpartum doula and what the emotional and practical support looked like. 

Eleni is warm, insightful and a beautiful storyteller. We hope you love this one.

Join our community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation.